Our Favorite Anti-Aging Diet Tricks

With each passing year, you notice more lines along your face, not to mention sagging and overall less vibrant skin. As your body’s largest organ, your skin has done its job over the years shielding you from the world, but the toll this exacts can be great, which is why your skin is so quick to show signs of aging.

To help support your skin health from the inside out, Daphne Panagotacos, M.D., Inc. wants to share some of our team’s favorite anti-aging dietary tips.

Nutrient-dense superfoods

As you age, you should shift your diet toward foods that are long on nutrients and short on calories. Also known as super foods, they contain ample amounts of vitamins and minerals that support skin health.

The more you can add these foods to your diet, the better you’ll be able to provide your skin with the nutrients it needs to retain elasticity and overall good health. Some of our go-to super foods include:

• Kale
• Watercress
• Garlic
• Broccoli
• Eggs
• Spinach
• Berries
• Olive oil
• Nuts (unsalted)

You may notice that many items on this list are what we call dark, leafy greens, and the more you can incorporate these foods into your diet, the better you can support your skin health.

Dark chocolate

If you have a sweet tooth, the good news is that dark chocolate is chock full of antioxidants that combat inflammation in your skin, especially inflammation due to sun exposure. And dark chocolate helps your skin to retain moisture, which can help bring that youthful glow. 

When we refer to dark chocolate, we recommend that you look for chocolate products that contain 85% cacao or higher.

Fatty fish

While you may be in the routine of avoiding fatty foods, certain fatty fishes are great for skin health. Fish like salmon, tuna, or mackerel contain high amounts of omega-3s, which, among other things, influence the oil production in your skin and help your skin to stay hydrated.

Antioxidant-rich foods

We often hear the word antioxidants batted around, but why are they so good for your skin? Antioxidants fight off free radicals, which are unstable molecules that can damage your skin cells and break down collagen.

Some of the best sources of antioxidants include those we’ve already mentioned above, but we’ll mention them again here, in addition to others:

• Dark chocolate
• Berries (strawberries, blueberries, raspberries)
• Kale
• Beets
• Beans
• Artichokes

For a more detailed description of the benefits of antioxidants and which foods are best, click here.

Hydration

We’re going to end with one dietary tip that you should practice at any age — good hydration. Water not only helps to flush toxins out of your body, it keeps your tissues well-hydrated. So try for eight glasses of water a day to keep your skin in the pink of health.

To learn more about how your diet can promote skin health, contact Daphne Panagotacos, M.D, Inc. to schedule an acne consultation or book an appointment online today.